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SolForge preview gets an update, with new decks to play
SolForge is an interesting iOS card game that keeps getting even more intriguing. The game, which is being made by a company called StoneBlade Entertainment (formerly Gary Games, the gang behind the great Ascension), earned a nice chunk of change on Kickstarter a while ago, and then saw a free preview hit the App Store more recently. That free preview has now turned into what's essentially an open beta, however, as StoneBlade has added four starter decks of cards to the game. Those decks are available as an in-app purchase for US$4.99 each, but my guess is that they're really for the Kickstarter crowd. StoneBlade promised some free starter decks to supporters and I'm guessing these are those. But if you want to get in early on the game, they'll be more than happy to take your money. There are also some skins available for purchase, and there are even more features on the way, including the long-awaited deckbuilder and the ability to play in online tournaments. StoneBlade is really building this thing out piece by piece, and it's definitely becoming a more and more impressive venture. Even if you don't want to jump in on the starter decks, the core preview is still available for free.
StoneBlade Entertainment (formerly Gary Games) shows off SolForge, coming next year
Ascension is still one of the best digital card games on the App Store -- it's a deckbuilding game that made the jump over to iOS, and it's probably the best example yet of how to take a great offline game, and put it on Apple's touchscreen device. Gary Games is the original creator of Ascension (though they worked with a company named Playdek to publish it on the App Store), and they held a Kickstarter earlier this year for a game called Solforge. The game is a card-based followup to Ascension that was set to be released as a physical card game, with versions available on both iOS and PC. That Kickstarter was eventually funded, and Gary Games has just emerged from their offices with a brand-new walkthrough video for SolForge, with a look at the game and how it works. And they're also going through a name change, so Gary Games is now known as StoneBlade Entertainment. As you can see from the video, embedded below, SolForge looks great -- the main mechanic is that cards you play can be transformed by leveling up, which allows for a lot of great strategies around not only deciding what to put down, but how and when to transform up the cards you've placed. I got to see the game in action at PAX earlier this year, and it looks like a whole lot of fun. StoneBlade has said the title is due out on iOS as soon as it's ready sometime in 2013 (and I'm sure the company is eager to recreate the success it's seen with Ascension), so we'll look for it sometime then.
